The Election Commission called for a special summary revision (SSR) of electoral rolls on Wednesday, with October 1, 2022 serving as the cut-off date in Jammu and Kashmir. On August 30, the pre-revision operations will come to a close. In light of this, the EC has mandated that the SSR of the electoral rolls be finished by the end of October, according to J&K Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar. Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has announced that by the end of the year, Union Territory assembly elections could be held.

This is the first time since abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status that electoral rolls are being revised to accommodate new voters. Prior to the abrogation, the only people who could vote in Jammu and Kashmir were its permanent residents, or “state subjects”. It would allow the displaced Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) residents to apply for voting rights in the upcoming Assembly elections. They used to be able to participate in Assembly elections but not in parliamentary elections.

According to the order, newly eligible voters were unable to register themselves on the electoral roster because Jammu and Kashmir did not undertake an electoral roll revision for the previous three years. Considering which, electoral rolls have been ordered to be updated on the basis of newly delimited constituencies in order to include all newly eligible young electors.

The updated electoral rolls has to be published by October 31 in order to meet the deadline established by the EC. According to the letter by Election Commission ,claims and objections may be submitted within a month, up until September 30, following the release of integrated draft electoral rolls on September 1. By October 15, the claims would be resolved.

In the delimitation exercise concluded last month, the Delimitation Commission suggested seven more constituencies in the UT. Out of these seven, Jammu will be allotted six new constituencies while Kashmir will get one. This would bring the total number of seats from 83 to 90. Jammu’s seats will be increased from 37 to 43 while Kashmir Valley will have 47 rather than 46 seats. Many political parties have also raised criticism as Jammu division has got more seats in comparison to Kashmir.

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The apex body demanding sixth schedule for Union Territory of Ladakh has stated in a press statement that it would boycott the LAHDC polls and run a campaign asking common people not to take part in the elections.

The move is going to make a dent in the vote bank of BJP in the arid desert of Ladakh as the party had gained a strong ground after the region was made a UT after its bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir.

The apex body of People’s Movement for Sixth Schedule for Ladakh announced that it would boycott the LAHDC polls.

Rigzin Spalbar Former Chairman of LAHDC Leh in a press statement said “since COVID-19 pandemic and casualties  were on an upsurge, compelling the Chairman and Deputy Chairman LAHDC Leh to approach LG Ladakh in writing to take urgent measures to control the rising numbers of positive cases by suggesting a bi-weekly lockdown; it was expected that elections to constitute the 6th LAHDC Leh would be postponed. Inspite of that, the election were still announced”.  

He said that besides the worrisome status of the Pandemic, at present the entire Ladakh is in a state of uncertainty over the preservation of its unique tribal identity, habitats and ecosystem vis-a-vis its  future existence and survival due to lack of constitutional safeguard in the form of the 6th Schedule. 

“I am of the firm opinion that holding the elections to LAHDC Leh, without extending the relevant provisions of the 6th Schedule of our Constitution, (which empowers the Councils by vesting it with legislative powers) is meaningless. The democratically elected  Council, representing the popular will of the people of Ladakh, cannot continue to be a toothless & irrelevant ostentatious body like it was made to be so in the wake of the formation of UT Ladakh” he said.

Rigzin Spalbar also said participation in the LAHDC Leh elections and voting in it, “while now the demand for the grant of the 6th Schedule has got an unprecedented overwhelming support, may not serve our cause. It is only in the best interest of the demand for the 6th Schedule that we do not participate at all in the Elections unless our demand is met.
Therefore, I fervently appeal to the Apex Body of the 6th Schedule Movement to consider giving a call to not to participate or vote in the forthcoming elections to LAHDC Leh to strengthen the demand for grant of the 6th Schedule of our Constitution to Ladakh. It is to be noted that all socio-cultural, religious, trading, students & political organisations of Leh Ladakh have already extended their full support to the Apex Body led by the veteran leaders”.

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